Orlesian Ball Shenanigans
by Ottemis
Summary: First writing prompt for the "help me make it to release writing prompt" tag on Tumblr. My friends and I decided to do something fun to fill time till Inquisition releases with scheduled prompts. This is my first ever ficlet, any advise or feedback would be appreciated! I'm not a native English speaker. Big thanks to ELE08 for proofreading! Rated K for drug mention.


Cass was late.

The perfectly polished tiling echoed her footsteps across the large entry hall, adding new depth to the ostentatious nature of the event taking place beyond the large open doors ahead. The cacophony of heels clicking, music, voices and laughter swelled and overwhelmed her as she steadily progressed towards the entryway. Why one would willfully subject oneself was beyond her comprehension.

The weight of her gown dragged behind her in an unfamiliar fashion and with every step she felt her mask sliding further out of place. She stopped to re-adjust it before entering the ballroom. It was a snow-white porcelain mask intricately patterned and lined with small grey feathers along the top and sides, the bottom cut in a curve from the tip of the nose to the jaw. A blue streak ran from the forehead down to the bridge of the nose. It was pretty enough to look at but quite the horror to wear. She chose not to breathe through her nose as it had a musty smell to it that made her slightly nauseous.  
She'd never been to an Orlesian ball nor worn or even owned a mask. Sera had ensured her she knew the best craftsman so she had made arrangements. She fastened the straps and continued into the room.

Bull, Varric, Sera, Vivienne and Cullen would also be in attendance but they had no doubt arrived much earlier as she had been held up by the arrival of an express courier.  
The poor lad had taken at least ten minutes catching his breath before he could speak and his horse had been white with foam and wet with sweat across its flanks. She'd sent for it to be washed, rubbed dry and given a blanket, some fresh oats and water.  
A local village had been burned to the ground by bandits and she'd sent troops out to secure the surviving villagers safe passage to the Keep.

Looking around she spotted several pairs dancing in the center of the room.  
While most were exceedingly graceful one particular gentleman seemed unsteady and was met with high-pitched wailing every time he stepped on or tripped over his partner's shoes or gown and she soon withdrew herself from the dance floor with an angry huff and a slight limp. Cass couldn't help but grin.

Vivienne joined Cass briefly, complimenting her on her appearance and tapping her on the arm reassuringly. She had shared her insecurities with Viv, who had helped her pick out her attire and commissioned a good tailor for the job. As Vivienne left to mingle with the other guests, Cass continued towards the refreshment table. While walking she noticed an increasing number or glances being thrown her way. Shaking her unease she spotted Varric and Sera standing in a far corner, Varric softly chuckling as Sera waved her hands around in an animated fashion as she spoke to him.  
Bull, who was piling an alarming amount of food onto a tiny plate, was seemingly being berated by a small lady in a hat doubling her height, who he chose to completely ignore. The situation escalated as the partner of said lady took offense and for reasons _beyond_ reason decided to force Bull into acknowledging their existence by punching him in the shoulder. Bull turned and simply stared at them, Cass could only imagine his expression, as he stuck a piece of cake in his mouth and slowly but decidedly walked away in the opposite direction.

As Cass arrived at the refreshment table a glass of water was pressed into her hands by Varric, who'd magically appeared alongside her.  
While she stood there slowly sipping her water the atmosphere in the room steadily shifted as people's behavior seemed increasingly less restrained. The conversation next to her became harder to follow as their speech had become slurred and looking around, several nobles seemed to have taken to relaxed, almost indecent poses against the far walls and on the lounge chairs in front of the fireplace.

"So, have you spotted our Knight-Captain yet?"  
"Former Knight-Captain," Cass corrected him as she shot him a glance, "Negatory."  
Varric seemed to take great delight teasing her about the object of her growing affections, he'd made a guess some time back and her refutal had been entirely unconvincing. Varric tugged at her sleeve and she followed the direction of his nod to find Cullen standing on the other end of the room. Slowly scanning his surroundings he turned towards them and as he did, Cass took in a sharp breath. His mask shared her crest!

Sera came up from behind her and Varric started to laugh, a deep rumbling sound that attracted attention. Cass balled her fists in an attempt to control her temper as she turned to look at Sera.  
"You gave us the same face," Cass hissed under her breath.  
Sera rocked on the balls of her feet playfully. "I'm sure nobody will remember, see …" she said, as she arched her back ever so slightly to reveal the empty glass vial she held cupped in her hands. She leaned in with a wink, "… I also spiked the punch."

_Except for Cullen, _Cass though as she spotted him making his way towards them, his determined gait decidedly sober.


End file.
